Two More States Join Criminal Justice Reform Project

The National Governors Association (NGA), in partnership with the National Criminal Justice Association Center for Justice Planning, today announced that two additional states—Delaware and Vermont—have been selected to participate in the National Criminal Justice Reform Project. These states will join Illinois, Arizona and Oregon, where work is already underway.

The project assists states with planning and implementation of data-driven, evidence-based reform within one or more of the following areas: pretrial reform, re-entry and offender recidivism, mental health and substance abuse, reducing incarceration and information sharing and integration of evidence-based practices across the justice system.

Teams of policymakers and key stakeholders led by the state’s criminal justice policy advisor and the criminal justice administering agency will work to embed a strategic planning process for advancing and sustaining reforms within the state’s executive branch. The overarching goals of the project are to move all states toward wider adoption of evidence-based practices within criminal justice policymaking and to improve public safety by making criminal justice systems smarter, fairer and more cost-effective.

In addition, the NCJRP Advisory Group will provide guidance and expertise throughout the duration of the project. Members of the advisory group include: